bessern

[ˈbɛsɐn]

/[ˈbɛsɐn]/ verb

The verdict

“bessern” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #21,191 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#21,191
frequency rank, German
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas in seiner Qualität steigern, besser machen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

bessern vs besten
71% similar
bessern vs bester
71% similar
bessern vs Bussen
57% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for bessern
PropertyValue
Headwordbessern
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈbɛsɐn]
Letters7
Frequency rank#21,191
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bessern” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). bessern lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for bessern is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈbɛsɐn]. Corpus data places it at rank #21,191 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for bessern, with forms such as "bbessern", "besern", and "besesrn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "besten", "bester", "Bussen", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is bessern, spelled B-E-S-S-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas in seiner Qualität steigern, besser machen
  2. 2
    sich selber in Hinblick auf die (moralisch, gesellschaftlich gewünschte) Qualität steigern, qualitativ in einen gesteigerten (oder auch akzeptierteren) Zustand kommen

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbessern,besern,besesrn,bessenr,bessernn,besserrn,bessren,beßern,bsesern,ebssern

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bessern - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

bbessern1besern1besesrn2bessenr2bessernn1besserrn1bessren2beßern2
Edit distance from "bessern"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bessern"?
"bessern" is spelled B-E-S-S-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈbɛsɐn].
What does "bessern" mean?
As a verb, "bessern" means: etwas in seiner Qualität steigern, besser machen
What words are commonly confused with "bessern"?
"bessern" is commonly confused with "besten", "bester", "Bussen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bessern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bessern" is [ˈbɛsɐn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bessern" come from?
"bessern" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “bessern”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is B-E-S-S-E-R-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈbɛsɐn] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “besten” - see the side-by-side comparison. bessern vs besten
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list